Some Fine Moments
For his debut solo recording, Brazilian guitarist Manoelito Martins performs a mixed collection of music from Brazil and the world. A native of Cubatão, São Paulo, Martins moved to the United States in 1999 to pursue a musical career. He obtained a Master of Performing Artist Certificate Degree from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, where he now resides. Produced by Mark and Debbie Gott, Impressions has some fine moments, particularly with the Brazilian numbers. However, the choice of songs such as “Tears in Heaven,” “Here, There and Everywhere” and “Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet – A Time for Us” turns the listener’s attention away and hides Martins’s abilities as a budding guitarist. He is a much better player than what you will hear in those tracks. For example, in the opening track, “Sinal dos Tempos,” he shows very good command of that Garoto challenging piece. The same goes for the other Garoto number, “Samba do Morro.” In the Bossa Nova numbers — he perform nearly half a dozen of them — he is clearly more at ease. Out of those, “Dindi” and the closing “Berimbau” really set themselves apart. The nineteenth century “Romance of Love” is delicately performed, while “Sons de Carrilhões” shows a more gleeful tone in Martins’s arrangement. Similarly, Paulinho Nogueira’s “Bachianinha #1” is most certainly Martins’s best rendition.
Impressions introduces a promising guitarist performing waltzes, sambas, choros, Bossa Nova classics and more.
ALBUM INFORMATION
Manoelito Martins
Impressions
Independent (2004)
Total time: 46’03”
Tracks:
- Sinal dos Tempos (Aníbal Augusto Sardinha “Garoto”)
- Romance of Love (Antonio Rovira)
- O Barquinho (Roberto Menescal – Ronaldo Bôscoli)
- Dindi (Antônio Carlos Jobim)
- Bachianinha #1 (Paulinho Nogueira)
- Las Abejas (Agustín P. Barrios)
- Tears in Heaven (Eric Clapton)
- Canción de Cunha (Leo Brower)
- Jongo (João Teixeira Guimarães)
- Samba do Morro (Aníbal Augusto Sardinha “Garoto”)
- Lágrima (Francisco Tarrega)
- Here, There and Everywhere (John Lennon – Paul McCartney)
- Manhã de Carnaval (Luiz Bonfá – Antônio Maria)
- Natalia Vais (Antônio Lauro)
- Sons de Carrilhões (João Teixeira Guimarães)
- Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet “A Time for Us” (Larry Kusik – Eddie Snyder – Nino Rota)
- Garota de Ipanema (Antônio Carlos Jobim)
- Berimbau (Baden Powell)
